A GEEK DADDY: Sharing a dad's adventures in parenting plus enjoying the geeky side of life

Monday, May 21, 2018

GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL WATER SAFETY MONTH

From my family's own experience at Goldfish Swim School we know that they emphasize water safety training with their students throughout the year. With summer approaching and knowing that is a prime time for children to be spending time in and around the water, Goldfish Swim School puts an extra emphasis on safety during the month of May. They want to make sure that as their students are enjoying themselves at beaches, pools and water parks, the kids are being safe as well as having fun.

In fact, last summer when my son got in an over his head situation while at a water park that could have quickly become dangerous, he used the water safety tips he had worked on during lessons at Goldfish Swim School to keep his cool. He didn't panic, treaded water, looked for the closest point to get out of the water, and got the attention of a lifeguard to help him. You can read more about how Goldfish Swim School saved the day in this past ageekdaddy.com blog post.

Did you know … According to the CDC (United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DROWNING is the leading cause of injury death to children ages one to four and the second leading cause after motor vehicle injuries for children between the ages of five and fifteen.
Being safe around water is an important issue for every family. All kids need to have the knowledge and skills to be safe! Goldfish Swim School surprised my family with a Water Safety Month themed box of goodies to highlight the importance of this topic as we head into the Memorial Day weekend that kicks off summer activities for many families across the country. Check out what we unboxed:

WATER SAFETY TIPS

Here are some tips based upon the items we discovered inside our Goldfish Swim School Water Safety Month box:

Make water and swim safety a FUN, FAMILY activity! Goldfish uses the Science of SwimPlay® in lessons to capture children's attention because they learn best through play. My kids love how Bubble's the goldfish mascot! This cheerful goldfish provides a youthful vibe to the swim school and helps make communications with children relatable to them. The twins were delighted to get a Bubbles plush in our Water Safety Month box.

In addition to Bubbles, Goldfish also uses toys, prizes, and other tools to engage kids and make their learn-to-swim experience FUN! The plastic Bubbles toys included in our box are always a hit with my kids. Different styles are given out during the year tied to the swim school's theme of the month as a reward for children doing well in class. These toys are great for playing with in a bathtub or pool and our puppy Penny has also taken a liking to chewing on these when she can steal one from the kids. Stickers and temporary tattoos like the ones also shown in the unboxing video are also given out to students. There is a different type of reward given out each week of the month to help keep students excited about regularly attending swim class.

Any time kids are around water, designate a "water watcher" who will avoid cell phones, conversations, magazines and anything else that might distract the adult from watching swimming children. Often times children who drown are actually being supervised by an adult. A water watcher lanyard is one way to remind people about the importance of this responsibility.

An illustrated booklet that highlights Goldfish Swim School's W.A.T.E.R. safety rules was also included in the box. It is a great way to reinforce these water safety messages with children at home:

W -- WEAR your life jacket

A -- ACT to get help for someone in trouble. Don't go in yourself to try and help.

T -- TAKE swim lessons.

E -- EDUCATE yourself on swim safety skills

R -- RESPECT. Play it cool and follow the rules!

Goldfish Swim School instills these W.A.T.E.R. safety rules with their students during swimming lessons, at special pool events like WATER SAFETY DAY, and through presentations for churches, civic organizations, libraries, youth groups and schools. Contact your local Goldfish Swim School to find out about these free presentations.

According to the American Red Cross, the number one thing that parents can do to keep kids safe in the water is to enroll them in swim lessons. Goldfish offers their trademark perpetual swimming lessons as well as special 1-week Jump Start Clinics during the summer. Jump Start Clinics include four or five consecutive days* of 30-minute swim lessons that focus on everything from teaching the fundamentals of water safety to fine-tuning stroke technique. These clinics are specially designed for families looking to get their kids water-ready in a hurry compared to the ongoing perpetual lessons that are for 30 minutes once per week that go on indefinitely through the year.

JUMP START CLINIC GIVEAWAY

To help one lucky winner get a child in their life ready to swim for the summer, A GEEK DADDY is giving away a one week Jump Start Clinic at Goldfish Swim School good at any of their Metro Detroit locations (Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Canton, Clarkston, Farmington Hills, Macomb, or Rochester). The participating child must be between the ages of four and ten years old. Who wants it?!
To enter simply email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com before 11:59 pm EST on June 1, 2018 with a message sharing who you would give these lessons to and why they would be appreciated. Please include your full name, mailing address and phone number so you can be contacted if you win. The winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entrants. Good luck!!!

If you are looking for a place for your kids to take swimming lessons give Goldfish Swim School a try. My family has had a golden experience there. Stop by and check out the pool at a location near you. When dropping by tell them A Geek Daddy sent you. Have a wonderful and safe summer everyone!

DISCLAIMER & RULES: A Geek Daddy is hosting this promotion as a
benefit to our readers. Must be a US
resident over the age of 18 to participate who resides within the State of Michigan. Each eligible entry will be assigned a number and one number will be randomly generated to determine the winner. Attempting to utilize multiple email accounts or otherwise trying to participate in this contest more than once per person will disqualify an individual. If you win this prize through another blog participating in this promotion you will be disqualified. Goldfish Swim School is responsible for the fulfillment of this prize. Entrant emails will be deleted at the conclusion of this promotion and not shared with Goldfish Swim School other than the recipient of the prize to assist with facilitating providing the prize. By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog.